Foxfire
by Heir Guardian
Summary: There are Duelers and Duelist, which one are you?
1. Ancient Theft

FOXFIRE  
  
My notes: Okay, this idea hit me and wouldn't leave and let me be.so with nothing else to do, I'll write it. If you guys would like to continue to read it then leave a review, even if it is only one word.  
  
I. Ancient Theft  
  
Joey was heading over to meet Yugi and the others in the early afternoon. He was relaxed and really wasn't expecting anything to happen, Yugi did live in the quiet part of town. With all this known it came as quite a shock when he heard the sounds of a fight.  
  
His head whipped around as an unmistakable sound of pain was heard and ran in the direction. He twisted around a corner and stared at the sight before him. Three older boys were beating up on a young red headed kid.  
  
He couldn't see much of the kid, but he knew that the poor thing was out matched and he ran in to help.  
  
"Hey! Leave the kid alone, you jerks!" The boys seemed startled that someone was coming after them, but quickly recovered and two of them turned to Joey. Joey knew he was out numbered and soon knew he was out maneuvered as well. These guys knew how to fight and how to fight well.  
  
He dodged the kick from guy one, but got thrown by the punch from number two. He was hurting but nothing serious. It was at this point that he noticed everything was quiet with the kid and the third guy. The two fighting him seemed to realize this and turned their heads.  
  
He used this to his advantage and aimed a kick at number two's knee and saw him go down. He just barely moved his head from the space where the other's fist had been aiming but didn't have a chance to counter it.  
  
A red blur leapt at the other man and with a sound of bones cracking the guy went down. Joey was staring at the back of the kid who had just saved him when it should have been the other way around. The kid turned bright green eyes on him and smiled, before he promptly collapsed. Joey caught him before he hit the ground.  
  
The kid turned out to be a guy, about the height of Yami Yugi and had nice tanned skin. But what really startled Joey was the length of the fiery red hair. The bangs were cut ragged and ended at his shoulders, but the rest was done in a tail and hung down to his hips in what looked like a fox tail, with the way it gathered at the bottom. It was weird, but if that's what the kid wanted than who was he to question.  
  
He didn't know what to do with the kid now and didn't want to hang around in the alley much longer. He picked up the kid and held him to his chest. He was surprisingly light for someone with that amount of hair, but Joey wasn't going to argue. He saw that the third guy had also been taken care of, but how, Joey didn't know. He looked down at the unconscious boy in his arms and shook his head.  
  
"If you were able to get rid of them so easily, how did they corner you in the first place?"  
  
He left the alley and decided to take the kid with him to the shop. Grandpa would know what to do with him.  
  
It wasn't long before he was at the game shop and everyone was greeting him. They all stopped short when they saw the kid. Mai came up to him and looked at the kid.  
  
"Hey sweetie, when did you start picking up strays?"  
  
Joey blushed and could feel Tristan's smirk even if he couldn't see it. He shot a warning glare at his friend and looked back at his now girlfriend.  
  
"I got him out of a fight near here and then he collapsed. I didn't want to leave him there so, I brought him with me. I hope you guys don't mind. Yami stepped forward and took the kid from him.  
  
"No, we don't mind. You did the right thing. If he's out cold like this he could get into a lot of trouble. Yugi, go see if your Grandpa can help us out. In the meantime, lets just get him comfortable."  
  
Joey was relieved. When Yami took over, you knew things were going to be okay. They made room for him on the couch and after some fussing, managed not to get his hair caught on anything. Yami was looking at the hair in puzzlement. He turned to Seto, who was joining them this afternoon.  
  
"Is it usual for guys to have hair that long?"  
  
Seto shrugged.  
  
"Mokuba wants to grow his hair longer, but I don't think it's really the fashion right now." He then smirked and flicked at Yami's spikes. "But who are you to ask about others hairstyles, hmm."  
  
Yami's eyes narrowed and they swore they could here a growl, but Seto just smirked a little wider. They sighed. Somethings would never change. It was then that Yugi walked in.  
  
"Grandpa's out at a dealership, for a package but said he would be back as soon as he could. He told me that we should see if he's awake, after making sure there are no head injuries."  
  
Yami nodded and moved back over to the couch. He had just lifted the boys head when the puzzle around Yugi's neck glowed. It flared up bright and startled Yami into moving away. As soon as his hand had left the boys head the puzzle died down.  
  
"That was strange?"  
  
"No, you think Tea."  
  
"Joey be nice."  
  
"Yes Mai."  
  
"Still a puppy."  
  
"Shut up Kaiba."  
  
Yugi had moved over to Yami and both stared down at the boy lying on the couch while this exchange had been going on.  
  
"Try touching him again, Yami."  
  
Yami nodded and touched the red hair once more. The reaction was more violent this time. Not only did the puzzle flare to life, but the boy's eyes shot open and he leapt up, knocking away Yami's hand.  
  
Even though there was no contact the puzzle still glowed. Everyone stared at the boy, who was now standing on the top of the couch, ready to fight. His eyes were wide and they glowed a red deeper than his hair. He did not look happy.  
  
The door burst open and in ran Bakura and his Yami. The Ring was glowing as bright as the puzzle and Yami Bakura ran in front of his light and glared at the boy. Bakura looked scared and confused as did Yugi.  
  
The boy took one look at Yami Bakura and lunged. His tackle took the white haired Yami to the floor and knocked away the card that he had been going to use. The sight of the card seemed to make the boy even more upset, but what happened next, none of them could of guessed.  
  
The boy jumped from the floor and while in mid-air he pulled an unfamiliar card from out of nowhere. It wasn't a Duel Monsters card, or any other they recognized. As soon as he landed he held the card in front of him and growled. The card glowed and then disappeared into his skin. He seemed to glow as the card had and everyone could feel some sort of power growing in him.  
  
But before he could use it Yami yelled. They couldn't understand what he said, but a pyramid formed around the boy and absorbed the power that had been growing. The boy collapsed to his knees and rested there, seemingly exhausted. His eyes turned back to the brilliant green that Joey remembered and everything seemed to relax. Both Yamis moved to the edge of the pyramid but it was Yugi who walked into it and touched the boy's shoulder. The boy looked up and now they could see the crown that had been hidden beneath his bangs. The Yamis gasped and Yami Bakura finally spoke.  
  
"So it has been finally found. Our stolen treasure has finally come back." He smirked. "At least we don't have to worry about the Shadow Realm with this one."  
  
Everyone looked relived at this, until Yami Yugi spoke up.  
  
"No, we just have to worry about a Battle Mage, with the power to control it."  
  
This did not bode well for any of them. The boy looked into Yugi's eyes and lowered his head. Yugi was left wondering why the boy looked so old and so very tired.  
  
  
  
**Well.is anyone interested.. 


	2. The Duelist

FOXFIRE  
  
The Duelist.  
  
Kit watched all the people around him. The person they all referred to as Grandpa had check him over and then had told him to stay here while he went to get some food. He had seemed so kind, but Kit wasn't going to trust anyone, not after the crown.  
  
Who knew that it would have happened after he stolen it. He survived 5000 years and for what. To still be a slave. He guessed this is why the crown had been locked up in the first place. He recognized the eyes of two of the people in the room, even if their bodies have changed.  
  
The Pharaoh and the Grave Robber. The one whom had tried to stop him, tried to warn him. But that still hadn't stopped him from taking it from the Egyptians then and it didn't change what had happened after.  
  
He heard as the two explained it to the others, the mortals of today. They were refereed to as Yamis and Kit recognized that word. It meant Darkness. Fitting when you were one who had witnessed the Shadow Games of Ancient Egypt.  
  
They told all that they knew. Things Kit had already been told.  
  
'The crown will be safe here.' 'Why does it have to be sealed away?' 'The power it holds is worse than that of the Shadow Games. With the crown, you are controlled, not controlling.' 'So why would anyone even want it.' 'It grants immortality and extraordinary power to the one controlled.' 'Still, to become a slave.' 'Some are willing to pay the price.'  
  
Kit was startled out of his memories and back to the present. They were all looking at him. He stared back. Finally the small Tri-haired boy named Yugi came forward.  
  
"Why did you steal it, if you knew that you would be a slave?"  
  
Kit smiled, "It was the ultimate thrill. Dodging all the cards and magic that guarded it. I didn't want it, just the challenge." He stopped and stared into the distance, remembering the thrill of avoiding all those that tried to kill him. "I didn't know that as soon as I touched it, it was I who was stolen."  
  
"What happened?" It was the blond girl, Mai, he remembered.  
  
"I became a duelist."  
  
They stared at him, not understanding.  
  
"But we're all Duelists." Kit shock his head at his blond savior.  
  
"No you're Duelers. Duelists are very rare now and we are slaves to the power, or I should say the soul, of the items, which hold us. For me, it's this crown." He breathed deeply and then rolled up his pants and sleeves. On each arm and ankle their were gold manacles.  
  
"These, along with my colouring mark me as a Duelist. A Dueler who owns a Duelist is one of the few of the First Race of the Shadow Realm. They were like humans, only with terrible powers. I was unfortunate enough to fall under the power of the Prince General. You saw him briefly when he tried to get me to fight."  
  
"Why did he try to harm us when he saw me and Yami Bakura." The Pharaoh stared at him hard.  
  
"He recognized you both, through your eyes and he didn't want you to take me away." Kit looked over at the Robber. "You know who I am and yes you can gloat. I should have listened to you." He saw the white-haired Yami's eyes open wide and knew that he had clued in.  
  
"Kit?" he nodded. "So this is what happened. I had guessed, but didn't want to believe."  
  
Kit sighed.  
  
"I have to leave now. The Prince will want to attack and I don't want to hurt any of you." He got up and was ready to leave when the Pharaoh stopped him.  
  
"Is their anyway to free you, cause if you are right, you are a severe danger to the people of the world."  
  
"The only way to free me is to take the crown, but it would then take over you. So you can only kill me."  
  
"And if we don't?"  
  
Kit looked at each person in the room. "I'm not the only Duelist and when all the Duelers gather, we will be used to destroy and enslave this world. The people would become food for the Shadow Realm and it would grow in power allowing the cards the power to enter this world. The Shadows would expand and their would be nothing left but a magic fueled battleground."  
  
The Pharaoh looked at him.  
  
"So we kill you."  
  
Kit finally smiled a true smile.  
  
"Then we Duel."  
  
Freedom was finally within his reach. Hopefully they were strong enough to beat him and the Prince. 


	3. Freedom Fight

Freedom Fight  
  
Kit stared at the place his fate would be decided. It was a holographic arena, with a few modifications from the Yamis. They had made it so that instead of the cards just looking real, they were. It had taken a long time for the Pharaoh to convince his new friends to let him duel.  
  
Yugi in particular had wanted to find a different way. It wasn't till Kit himself had asked for the duel, that they finally agreed. The owner of this arena usually let others watch the duels going on in the arenas, but not this one.  
  
In this one, one was going to die.  
  
He already felt the Prince stirring from his enforced sleep and was preparing himself for the fight. He had already made it clear that although he wanted to die, he was still going to fight as hard as he could, the Prince would make sure of it.  
  
He was standing on the field as the Pharaoh got ready. His friends were watching from the side, unsure of whether to cheer this fight on or not. At Yami's nod Kit stopped fighting and the crown about his head glowed. Soon another had arrived in the opposite area to Yami.  
  
Kit was no longer in control of his body. This was an all or nothing fight and all he could do was his best.  
  
Yami saw his opponent and frowned. He had expected him and thought he was prepared but he wasn't. This was whom his father had feared and so had most of the cards. This was one of the most powerful duelers and was now using a human to do his fighting.  
  
He looked down and saw Kit had changed as well. The seemingly peaceful child was now resting in a combat stance. He was covered neck to toe in black leather armor and decorative jewelry that doubled as armor. His hair was loose and flowing and the gold manacles that adorned him, shone with the power of the Prince.  
  
He was truly a beautiful sight and one that, under other circumstances, Yami would not want to destroy. The Prince on the other hand, made Yami's skin crawl.  
  
His skin was a deep violet, with narrow crimson eyes. His hair was held back and was a light blue in colour and his outfit showed his position as Prince, done in the royal purples and red. But it wasn't any of this that angered Yami or made him sick. No. It was the way he looked at Kit. Kit was just a means to fight and there was nothing more.  
  
Yami placed a hand over his cards and sent them a silent plea.  
  
//Help me to free this child.//  
  
With that the duel began.  
  
Yami started with the Celtic Guardian and he saw the warrior look from Kit to him. He nodded at it and the Elf went on his guard, now wary of the small foe it faced.  
  
The Prince pulled a card from his deck and activated it silently. The result was painful to watch. Kit bent double and two massive wings broke through his back and gave him the ability of flight. But Kit showed no signs of recognizing the pain he was in from the broken skin and the blood that dripped down his back. Yami had no idea what kind of cards this monster was playing with, but he had better learn fast.  
  
It was still the Prince's turn and he waved at Kit with his hand and Kit responded. Using his wings he lifted himself high in the air and then dived, like a falcon, straight at the Celtic Guardian. He folded his wings to cover his body and it was only then that Yami realized the wings were weapons themselves. The feathers were like metal spikes and he shouted a warning at the Elf.  
  
The warrior dodged just in time, but suffered a gash on his left arm. It bled slightly but wasn't a serious injury. Kit's return to the air signified the end of the first turn. The Prince smirked at Yami and Yami drew a card.  
  
He placed the Mirror Force trap card, facedown to protect the elf and summoned Curse of Dragon to do battle with Kit in the air. He tried attacking Kit with the Dragon and it seemed it would work, but kit dodged at the last moment and sent a spray of feathers towards the dragon.  
  
They landed in the dragon's eyes and the metal gouged out the dragon's sight. The dragon dropped out of the sky, no longer able to fight.  
  
The Prince drew a card and again silently activated it. Kit raised a hand and seemed about to use magic. Yami wished he could warn him about the trap card, but knew that Kit did not want that. So he watched in horror as Kit called forth a firestorm to throw at the Elf and the shock on Kit's face when it rebounded at him.  
  
They all heard the scream, Kit gave and thought it was over, but when the flames died down, Kit was still in the air, burnt, but still fighting.  
  
Yami looked at the Prince for his reaction and was disgusted that the Prince was only angry with Kit for falling for a trap. He didn't care about the burnt and wounded Duelist. But now there were no more defenses for his elf and it wasn't life points he had to worry about in this game, it was lives.  
  
He drew his next card.  
  
Gaia the fierce knight. He placed it in attack position hoping that the two warriors would work together. He told them to stand by, for he could do nothing while Kit was still in the air.  
  
The prince drew his next card and surprised Yami. The wings were still there, but he had brought Kit out of the sky and onto the back of a black Stallion, similar to Gaia's. In Kit's hand appeared a wicked, curved scythe and then Kit engaged the Knight in a duel of their own. Both charged forward, but with Kit's better agility he was able to bring the scythe up and leave a gash on Gaia's chest.  
  
With that much blood coming from the wound Yami had to recall him. The knight went over to where the fallen dragon lay and slumped off his horse. Again the Celtic Guardian was left unprotected. But something was going on in the sidelines of this battle. Yami Bakura had been watching his once friend very closely and was now on Kaiba's cell phone, talking frantically with whomever was on the other end.  
  
Yami wished he could figure out what he was saying but it was his turn again and Kit just sat atop the stallion, wings up and slightly unfurled.  
  
He drew the next card.  
  
The cards had heard his plea and he brought the Dark Magician into play. The Magician looked at his fellow card and they seemed to be talking. Good. If the Magician learned all that had been happening than hopefully he would have an edge. He gave the Magician the choice of waiting or fighting and the Magician chose to wait.  
  
The Prince laughed at this and sneered at them, thinking them weak. He pulled out a card and he finally spoke.  
  
"This is the last card I need to defeat you and to teach my duelist a lesson!" He activated it and Kit again went under a transformation.  
  
He grew taller, but still slim. His legs formed into those of a fox just after the knee and two tails appeared both of them foxes and the same bright red as his hair. His face became narrower and two pointed furred ears appeared and his green eyes looked at Yami with sorrow. The wings still were white and his outfit hadn't changed, but in his hand was a weapon of fire. He was magic combined with a warrior. Land combined with air and he could easily destroy anything that Yami could put out.  
  
His cards seemed to realize this and prepared themselves to die. But it was at this time that Yami Bakura jumped onto the field a card and his ring in his hands. He went in front of Yami's monsters and turned to his friend.  
  
"Do you remember Kit, what we use to call you. Foxfire. All passion and cunning, sly and playful. I won't see you killed, or destroyed, but I would see you safe. You always loved that name and trained to become it. Look at yourself now. You are it. You are Foxfire. It is no longer a nickname, but an actual form." He held up the card. It was one of Pegasus's soul cards. "The ring gives me the power to place a person within their favourite card, but your card has been yet to be created."  
  
Yami knew what was happening and smiled in relief.  
  
"You said the only way to free you was to get the crown from you. To do that we have to get rid of your physical form." He placed his hands on the ring, the card floating in mid air. "So, we make you a card." With that Kit was drawn off the field by the power of the ring and placed in the card. The crown fell to the ground and the prince was captured once again inside it.  
  
Yami sighed in relief and looked down at the field. He recalled his cards and told them to rest. He joined the others who were now surrounding the crown and Yami Bakura. Yami looked at the crown and sent it to the one place it wouldn't hurt anyone, his soul room.  
  
With that out of the way, they all looked at the card. Just as he had been in the air, he was pictured in the card. There was only one change, he was now smiling. Yami Bakura held onto the card and they thought they saw him crying. Bakura placed a hand on his Yami's shoulder.  
  
"He's free now and he has you to thank. I think he would want you to have his card." His Yami nodded and placed the card in his deck. They were silent for a while and than Yami Bakura spoke up once more.  
  
"I know that none of you really knew him, but I was wondering if we could have a memorial or something for him. He deserves it, after everything he went through."  
  
"Hey. Just because we only knew him for a little while, he became a part of us. Of course we would honor him."  
  
"Joey's right. Come on, let's go see what we can do." They walked out of the ring and back home, preparing the ceremony for a short-lived friend, but one whom they would never forget.  
  
**This story is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, who helped me get out of an abusive situation with my family and got me standing on my own two feet. It's not long and not meant to be. It's just to thank her. So, thank you. You know who you are. 


End file.
